More information about the closing of classrooms in Klaus and the Instructional Center (IC) to student groups has emerged.
As previously reported, on Friday Sept. 12, an e-mail was sent to student groups that the classrooms in Klaus and room 103 of the IC was closed to student group reservations, effective immediate. According to Howard Wertheimer, Director of Capital Planning and Space Management (CPSM), there were several incidents leading up to this decision.
“GTPD was asked to get involved at the request of the Event Coordinator in the Klaus due to safety concerns expressed by the custodial staff,” Wertheimer said. “Students locked the doors from the inside, not allowing custodial staff to do their jobs. This occurred more than once during the week of September 8.”
In addition, according to Wertheimer, there was damage to A/V equipment, vandalism to tables and trash left in the room.
“So if there’s a group that comes in and there’s nothing on any of the tables and then they leave and there are 8 pizza boxes and a dozen soda cans on the table, then that makes it difficult for the instructor the next morning to come in and teach a class,” Wertheimer said.
Some suggested that CPSM should only punish the organizations responsible, but according to Wertheimer, this is difficult.
“What happens in some of these rooms is a group will reserve it and their reservation has to end at 8:00 so custodial staff can get in there, sometimes doors are propped open and someone might come in after that group,” Wertheimer said. “Sometimes folks would tailgate in the room, which happens in a lot of buildings, in a lot of spaces and then people will leave and then someone who did not reserve the space might be the last one there and things happened.”
According to Wertheimer, before the halt in room renovations, CPSM did reprimand one of the student groups who rented Klaus and took away their ability to rent that space.
Student leaders met with CPSM representatives on Friday to try to find a more permanent solution to the problem. According to Wertheimer, CPSM is looking for a resolution soon.